In order to improve the recording characteristics of a magnetic recording medium, it is generally accepted to orient the acicular magnetic powder included in the magnetic layers in a horizontal direction or a longitudinal direction. However, according to the method of using the magnetizing component in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic layers as described above, there is an upper limit of the recording density, whereby the demagnetizing field increases in the magnetic recording medium as the recording density is increased, and in turn there occurs decrement and rotation of the residual magnetization or remanence, and as a result, it becomes difficult to read out the signals recorded in the magnetic recording medium correctly.
On the other hand, a so called vertical magnetic recording in which the magnetic recording is effected in the vertical direction of the recording medium using the magnetic component of vertical or perpendicular to the surface of the magnetic layer is suitable for a high density magnetic recording since the effect of the demagnetizing field is small as the recording density is increased, so that there is a number of approaches to use the vertical magnetic recording. One approach is such that the magnetic powder, each grain having anisotropy in the acicular direction, is so distributed in the recording layers that the magnetic field is oriented in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the magnetic layer so as to use the vertical magnetization component. Another approach is such that barium ferrite powder, each having a hexagonal plate like shape with the magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the surface of the plate, is used as the magnetic powder with the surface of the hexagonal plate oriented parallel to the magnetic layers thereby using the vertical magnetization component. In the former way, the acicular magnetic powder is apt to fall in parallel to the surface of the magnetic layer during dry process of the magnetic coating layer on the substrate material thereby reducing the vertical magnetization component. In the latter way, the respective magnetic powder tends to be condensed together in the process of orientation of the surfaces of the plates in the direction of the surface of the magnetic layer, whereby it is difficult to make the magnetic layers with an excellent smooth surface and therefore, it is difficult to record the information on the recording medium with a high recording density.